Iowa child protective services have been removing children from their homes at a rate twice the national average. Roughly 50,000 of the state’s 3 million residents have been placed on a “child abuse registry”.
There are millions of Americans on such child protection registries in at least 45 other states that reflect the same imaginary tide of abuse.
Iowa’s parents are no worse than any others. A combination of a callous bureaucracy and poorly written laws has failed to put children’s interests first and torn families apart.
People whose names are added to Iowa’s registry most often aren’t accused of a crime, let alone indicted or actually convicted. An investigator determines whether 51 percent of the evidence points toward a case of abuse, a supervisor signs off, and the name goes on the list.
Iowa’s system is hardly among the worst. Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that many states put residents on such lists with ridiculously little evidence.
See: NY-OCFS denied thousands accused of child abuse the chance to clear their names
NY-OCFS shredded over 25,000 requests for name clearing hearings
In some states, “abusers” aren’t told they are on the list and don’t get to know whether their appeal, sometimes consisting of a single conference call, is successful or not.”
Iowa’s Supreme Court last month handed this system an important defeat, and the legislature is finally, tepidly talking about minimal reforms – though the bureaucracy charged with protecting Iowa’s children continues to drag its feet. The system needs to protects children while still offering due-process protections that will prevent the registry itself from being abused.
© Copyright 2010 The Washington Times
Actually, under pressure, the court “clarified” it’s position allowing them to keep the names in place. But for future use, there are new rules.
http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/.....-registry/